Retractable pilot for railway locomotives



1951 A. M. SCHIELER RETRACTABLE PILOT FOR RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES Filed July 16, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR; ALBERT M. ,SCHIELER ATTORNEY.

' A. M. SCHIELER RETRACTABLE PILOT FOR RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES Oct. 30, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 16, 1947 FIG.4.

FIG. 6.

. 0 I" INVENTOR: *ALBERT M. SCHIELER BY Q? M ATTORNEY.

1951 A. M. SCHIELER 2,573,224

RETRACTABLE PILOT FOR RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES, Filed July 16, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet a 'INVENTORJ ALBERT M. SCHIELER ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 30, 1951 acumen STATES PATENT Lorrie E RETRACTABLE PILOT. FOR RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES -Albert M.Schieler, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to General SteeLOastings Corporation, Granite .jC-ity,iIll., a corporation of Delaware Application July 16, 1947, Serial No. 7 61,233

between the forwardly rojecting-coupler and the -track-andlbe dragged with the locomotive often derailingthe locomotive and causing. derailment of other-cars ofthe. train. eMany of the locomotiveslast described arenot even. eq-uippedwith pilots.

One object: of. applicant's invention is to. provide locomotive front end'structure, including a ,pilotland a. non-retractible.coupler, in. which the pilot. provides adeflec'ti-ng surface. of thehkind described. when theycoupleri is .not being used.

'Another object is ,to. provide a pilot for. a'locomotive havinganomretractibla coupler, .which ,i pilot hasa,,poiition'.below the. coupler movable 1 longitudinally of 'fthefljlo'comoltivev to provide a f. deflecting surf ace 10f the; kind described. extending downwardly from the'front, endof the coupler when the coupler is not being used.

Other. objects willbe apparent .to those skilled "in the art from the following description and accompanyingdrawingsin which:

Figure l is aztop viewof 'the forward end of a locomotive provided'with a pilot structure'con- "structed' accordingto the invention.

Figure 2-isa" front view thereof, with a portion section ed onthe-line" 22 of-Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudin'al vertical'section taken --approximatelyon the line-3+3 of Figure 1.

Figure-4 is-a-*=sideview of a locomotive pilot structure showing another form of the inven- 'tion.

F-igure 5 is a front view thereof.

Eigu'resfi; 8, .11 and 13 are views similar to ""Figure l of a locomotive pilot structure and show! other :forms of 'the invention.

Figures '7, 9, '12 'and5' Mare views similar to Eigure. 2 of :the pilot structureshown in Figures 6,

ing a pilot member 3 and a coupler-pocket 5a. A

non-retractible coupler 5 including a head 6 and a shank I is pivoted for'horizont'al movement on a vertical pin 8 in coupler pocket 50.. Pilot mem- -ber' 3 has a forward obstacle deflecting wall 3a a recessed centra1-ly-' at-1A te -receive coupler 5.

A pilot element #9 :has a forward obstacle deflecting facet-ea:and iszpo'sitioned in recess 4 below coupler- 5. i 'Pi1ot eleInent 9 is movable'from an inoperative. retractedi 'position- (shown in": dot and dash linest'in -liigures and 3)'substantially within pilot: member 31; and r rearwardly of .:the

r front end. of 'coupleri'ata; to:v an. extended position "(shown in solid;lines':in Figures 1- and'3) in which tialvertical alignmentwiith'the front end of the coupler.

' 'Pilot element 9ppreferably- :has upward extensionsellb which" are;.,posi-tioned in recess 4 at the andjmove pilot element '9 to retracted and sides of coupler hea'd.6 when the pilot'element is in extended :position. j-i'Extensions 'llbr restriot -:lateral movement-of -couplen. 5 and-provide: addi- 25' tionaL defleetingypilot :-surfaces-- at the "sides of the coupler. Extensions 9b move rearwardly -:-within:pilot/member 3 adjacent'couplenshank I when pilot element 9 isretracted to provide-for lateral pivotal movementsof coupler 5 aboutits pivot-8. Inaextended-position, iaceBaTof pilot element. fiend 'i-tsvextensions to cooperate with .wall Sci/of pilot member 3: and with the front end .of coupler 5 to... provide a continuousdeflecting surface which throws obstacles whenin the path of. the locomotive, .toltheside. so the obstaclesldo not become wedged between the track and coupler.

. Rails 10. on pilotmember. 3; extend inwardly .fromits forward face andlare receivedingrooves l l in pilot element .9.

.connectedgby. a rod 'l3sto.a bifurcated rib M on pilot element Band is jslidable ina cylinder l5 secured to the pil'otbeam. fPipes l6. admit air under. pressureto jcylinder 5 to operate piston 12 extendedpositions. ,Laterally extending pins ll sl'id'ably'mounted, inpilot member 3 arereceived inapertures IBin webs 190f pilot element Band memberfi. -Each pin ll is-disengaged from pilot element' fi by a 'single-a'ctingair cylinder 22-conne'cted bya piston r0613 to a lever connected at one end to the pin and at the other end to a bracket rigid with pilot member 3. Preferably air is supplied to cylinders 22 and i5 simultaneously so that the pins are withdrawn automatically from pilot element 9 when it is moved from one position to the other. When ilot element 9 has been shifted and the cylinder air pressure is released, springs 26 again thrust pins [1 into locking position.

The pilot structure shown in Figures 4 and 5 is similar to the pilot structure shown in Figures 1-3 with the exception that shiftable pilot element 3| and the associated recess 32 in pilot member 33 are narrower and of different contours than the corresponding parts shown in Figures l-3. A pair of laterally extending locking pins 34 are provided on each side of the pilot element to hold the pilot element in retracted and extended positions. Locking ins 34 are applied and removed manually and keepers 35 prevent the locking pins 34 from accidental removal. Pilot element 3| is moved from one position to the other by a double acting air cylinder 36 as in the previous embodiment.

In Figures 6 and '7, pilot beam 4! mounts a coui pler pocket 42a supporting a coupler 42 for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane about a pin 42b in the coupler pocket. Pilot beam 4| mounts a pilot 43 recessed at 44 and movable from an extended position (shown in solid lines in Figure 6) in which the pilot 43 encloses coupler 2 to a retracted position (shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 6) in which pilot 43 abuts pilot beam 4! and coupler 42 extends forwardly thereof through recess 44. A pair of longitudinally extending cylinders 45 are rigid with pilot beam 4| and slidably receive rearward extensions 46 on pilot 43 to support and guide the pilot as it is moved from one position to the other. An air cylinder 4'! connected to the pilot by a piston rod 48 moves the pilot from one position to another. Locking pins 49 extend laterally through guides 45 and extensions 46 and hold pilot 43 in extended or retracted position. Pins 49 may be moved into and out of locking position by air cylinders 50.

In Figures 8, 9 and 10, a pilot beam 5| rigidly mounts a pilot member 52 having a central recess 53. A coupler 56 is attached to pilot beam 5| for pivotal movement in a horizontal plane and extends through recess 53 in pilot member 52. A pilot element 54 in recess 53 below coupler 56 is pivoted to pilot member 52 by a vertical pin and moves from a retracted position (shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 8) within pilot member 52 to an extended position (shown in solid lines in Figure 8) in which pilot element 54 extends forwardly of pilot member 52 and the front end of coupler 56. Pilot element 54 is locked in forwardly extended position by a pin 51 and may be held in retracted position by any suitable means.

In Figures 11 and 12, a pilot beam 6| rigidly mounts a pilot member 62 having central recesses 65 and 65a. A coupler 63 extends forwardly of pilot member 62 through recess 65 and is pivoted at 64 for movement in a horizontal plane to a coupler pocket 64a rigid with pilot beam 6|. A pair of pilot elements 66 in recess 65a are pivoted to pilot member 62 below coupler 63 by vertically disposed pins 6'! for movement in a horizontal plane from retracted position (shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 11) within pilot member 62 to extended position (shown in solid lines in Figure 11) forwardly of pilot member T 62 and the front end of coupler 63. Manually inserted locking pins 68 secure pilot elements 66 in extended and retracted positions.

In Figures 13 and 14, a pilot beam ll rigidly mounts a pilot member 12 having a central recess 15. A coupler 13 extends through recess 15 and is carried by pilot beam H for horizontal pivotal movement. A pair of pilot elements 16 below pilot member 12 extend substantially the entire width of the pilot member and are pivoted thereto by vertically disposed pins 11 at the outer ends of the pilot member for movement in a horizontal plane fromretracted position (shown in dot and dash lines in Figure 13) to extended position (shown in solid lines in Figure 13) forwardly of pilot member 12 and the front end of coupler 13. The inner ends of pilot elements 16 intermesh to facilitate retraction of the elements. Vertically disposed spring urged lockin pins 58 secure pilot elements 16 in extended and retracted positions.

The movable portions of the pilots in Figures 8-14 may be retracted and extended by power means as shown in Figures 1-7 and the movable portions of the pilots in Figures 1-7 may be retracted and extended manually as shown in Figures 8-14. To facilitate such manual movement, a screw, a winch and cable, or other suitable means, may be used.

The locking pins holding the pilot elements in retracted and extended positions in Figures 1-14 and the pilot element pivot pins in Figures 8-l4 must be of sufficient strength to Withstand thrusts applied to the pilot elements when striking objects in the path of the locomotive.

In each of the embodiments described, the coupler is pivoted on a fixed support on the pilot beam and the buffing and pulling forces through the coupler are applied directly to the pilot beam and not to the pilot. The pilots are designed for attachment to pilot beams now in use and for using present couplers and coupler pockets. The pilot structures described are effective in deflecting objects in the path of the locomotive to the side so the objects do not become wedged between the coupler and track.

The structures described may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a railway vehicle frame part, a pilot member mounted thereon and having a forwardly opening recess, a coupler in said recess having a head, a vertical pivot swingingly mounting said coupler on said frame part, a pilot element in said recess below said coupler, upward extensions on said pilot element adjacent said coupler, said pilot element being slidably mount ed on said pilot member to move rearwardly relative to said pilot member and coupler to a retracted position in which said extensions are positioned substantially adjacent said pivot, and said pilot element being movable forwardly relative to said pilot member and coupler to an extended position in which said extensions are positioned adjacent the coupler head and restrain swinging movement of the coupler.

2. In railway pilot structure, a stationary portion forming the pilot sides and the top and bottom of a coupler-receiving recess, a pilot center member slidable on said portion beneath said recess to an extended position and to a retracted position, a coupler in said recess including a 5 shank and a head, an upright pivot pin securing said coupler shank to said stationary portion'for lateral swinging movement, said member having upstanding walls at the sides of said coupler head projecting forwardly of said recess at thefsides of 5 the coupler head when said member is in extended position, and received within said recess at the sides of said pivot pin when said member is in retracted position.

3. Railway pilot structure as described in claim 2 which includes a fluid pressure cylinder with associated piston connected to the stationary portion and to the pilot center member and operable to move said pilot center member to the extended and retracted positions.

ALBERT M. SCHIELER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 442,546 Putnam et a1. Dec. 9, 1890 860,373 Hamilton July 16, 1907 860,374 Hamilton July 16, 1907 879,092 Fellows Feb. 11, 1908 1,592,404 Woodward July 13, 1926 2,266,303 Blomberg Dec. 16, 1941 2,499,300

Dilworth Feb. 28, 1950 

